Writer: Kevin Barry
Director: Michael Samstag, Charles Howard, Jerome Jarnigan
Cast: Molly Pesce
Rating: Not Rated
Studio: Genius Products
Release Date: April 22, 2008
Animal Planet previously offered a reality style, makeover show that would help homeowners turn their backyard into a habitat for birds and other animals that were in the area. The show, Best of Backyard Habitat was a good idea, in theory, because it never hurts to offer the land back to the creatures that we have borrowed it from. However, from what I gather, the show is no longer in production. This Volume One set will certainly be a hit with nature lovers, people that love educational programming, and of course, old fans of the show.
I never had a chance to watch this on Animal Planet. In fact, I don’t think I’d even heard of the show until it arrived for review. Like Meerkat Manor my son immediately got into it, which was nice, because I found it fairly interesting, as well. It’s always nice to have something to watch that I am not worried about watching with him for fear of the content taking a more adult turn.
Best of Backyard Habitat Vol. 1 is not only something that will be suitable for the whole family, it’s something that will get children more interested in the world around them. Watching this makes you want to do what you can to make your yard friendlier for the world around your home. The great thing is that the show will really give you a lot of the tips that you need to do just that.
Release Information:
Best of Backyard Habitat Vol. 1 was released by Animal Planet and Genius Products on April 22, 2008. The show, which was original on and filmed in 2005, is no longer in production at this point.
The Best of Backyard Habitat Vol. 1 Plot takes you around the country with a host and a member of the National Wildlife Federation who helps people set their yards up to provide local animals (birds and other native species) with food, shelter, water, and space. Each show offers plenty of creative tips and ways that you can transform your backyard that you may not have considered previously. This set is a one-disc, Volume One DVD that is available through onlineretailers, including Amazon where it is available for $12.99.
The Best of Backyard Habitat Vol. 1 Plot
Each show in the Backyard Habitat lineup lasts for 30 minutes, which includes television commercial time. That being said, each episode on the DVD lasts for about 20 minutes. The show offers a specific format that is there through every show, offering a sense of uniformity despite the change in location with every new episode. The show features the host Molly and a Ranger from the National Wildlife Federation. The Ranger is there to offer information about species and habitats, to help with some of the hard labor in the makeover process, and to certify the backyard as a National Wildlife Habitat at the end of every episode.
This Volume One set offers 12 of the best episodes from the show. Those episodes include:
“City Birds” (19:27)
“Possums and Raccoons” (20:16)
“Band-Tailed Pigeon and Mountain Beaver” (19:56)
“The Tree Frog” (19:16)
“Chickadees and Toads” (19:11)
“Alligators and Green Anoles” (20:11)
“Pallid Bat and the Western Alligator Lizard” (19:45)
“Hummingbirds and Butterflies” (19:28)
“The Purple Martin” (19:32)
“Mockingbird and Hummingbird” (19:27)
“The Osprey” (19:30)
“Painted Turtles and Green Frogs” (19:33)
In the beginning of every episode we start with some before shots of the home that the episode is based on and some information about the area and the wildlife that will be attracted to the new backyard habitat. At this point, the show also introduces the family who lives in the house and they often explain why it is important to them to have a backyard habitat as part of their home.
As the show progresses the Ranger and the men in the family will work on the backyard, handling the heavy moving and lifting while the women and children work on lighter projects. A lot of times this involves Molly taking them to speak to an expert in the field of an animal species for something concerning their backyard habitat or they will work on more artistic projects that will be added to the habitat. This is shown in more than one episode where Molly and the various kids will make birdfeeders and other necessary items for the habitat.
As the shows come to a close you get to see the families spending time in their new backyard habitat. This is around the time when you see the completed habitat. The Ranger presents the family with the certification of an NWF Backyard and gives them a NWF Backyard Habitat plaque. From there, various shots of the gardens and backyard areas are taken, occasionally with before and after shots before the show officially comes to a close and the credits roll.
My only complaints come in the form of an overly perky host and the feeling of an incredibly rehearsed set. Molly has this incredibly annoying advertising model way about her. She reminds me of one of those people in a commercial trying to sell you something. The problem is you always know they are trying to sell it because they responses are always so deadpan and cheesy. That being said, considering the point of the show, this was something that I was able to ignore and my son loved it, so it was worth watching in the end.
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Audio/Visual:
The video quality for Backyard Habitat was transferred at an aspect ratio of 1.33:1 and ends up looking good overall. There are some jagged edge moments, but otherwise the picture is clean and the backyards come through looking crisp and beautiful. The colors transfer nicely and nothing seems to be too overdone. The natural settings look gorgeous when they are done, which is the point, so things worked out about as well as one could hope for a television show.
The audio is a Dolby Digital English Stereo track. Surprisingly, there were no Closed Captioning or Subtitle options, which is rare these days. On a better note, the audio passed with flying colors so you probably wouldn’t need them in most situations. The dialogue comes through perfectly and the nature sounds are an added bonus, reminiscent of something you might hear in your own backyard.
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Bonus Features:
Best of Backyard Habitat, Vol. 1 does not have any additional special features or offerings other than the original 12 episodes that are considered to be the best of the series. While some special features would have been nice, I have found that they don’t really have a place on a lot of DVDs like this so they are often avoided. If the content is good it usually doesn’t matter, but since it would have been possible to offer some interviews or even a commentary it would have been nice in this case.
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Bottom Line:
The Best of Backyard Habitat, Vol. 1 is a decent show overall. Kids will find enjoyment in seeing the before and after settings and in getting to learn about the world around them. This is a great show to watch with your kids, as well as something they can watch on their own. It is recommended for nature lovers and kids that are interested in the environment above all else. You might want to rent this first to make sure that it will be a hit in your household. Otherwise, old fans of the show will want to pick this up right away.
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Technorati Tags: DVD Review, Best of Backyard Habitat Vol. 1, TV on DVD, Animal Planet, Habitat, Animals, Reality Show, Natural Wildlife, Birds, Family Television
Written by Ashtyn Evans – Visit Website
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Ashtyn is in her early 30s. She is a mother, writer, college student, and music lover. Ashtyn has had a successful career as a writer since 2003. She turned to blogging in 2005. Ashtyn attends Wright State where she is getting a degree in Psychology. She has extensive knowledge in SEO and Social Media Development.
